Organic Agriculture in Peru

There is a world market for organic products growing each year. Worldwide sales in 2002 were 23 billion dollars surpassing the 19 billion dollars made in 2001, representing about 5% of total food sales.

In Latin America, more than 5.8 million hectares are managed organically by at least 150,000 farmers (Lernoud P. IFOAM, 2004). Of the whole area of organic production worldwide, Peru has had 23,935 of organic produce representing 0.14% of the total.

The importance in health care and environmental protection is the main reasons why consumers are choosing organic products, making the organic food market in a dynamic and attractive way.

In Peru, as of August 31st, 2001, the Peruvian State recognizes the legal existence of an organic agriculture in the country, offering the opportunity to begin a new stage to create laws, rules and guidelines favoring the control mechanisms and the promotion of organic agriculture nationally and internationally.

Studies by the Environment Group in Peru (Wu et al., 2002) show that 97% of certified organic production in Peru is exported, of which 94% is coffee and cocoa. The fate of these products is 79% with Europe, Japan 14% and the U.S. 7%. A third product is the banana, which is close to 6 million in exports. However, the situation of trade in organic products in the local market is still nascent, it has limitations in terms of variety of products on offer, the high price compared to conventional products that are organic products and the limited store locations.

An additional problem is the certification of products, which because of its high cost makes it difficult for farmers who are developing an organic agriculture to access these markets to offer their products.

To achieve fostering this type of agriculture at the national level, it is important to the work of advocacy as a strategy to raise awareness and spark the interest of the legislature in order to take initiatives to promote organic agriculture as a mean to improve farmers' income, improve quality of life of citizens and open a window for exporters in this line.

In that sense, RAAA, with the desire to contribute to provide a legal framework for organic agriculture, is considered an indispensable Promotion Act and the Promotion of Organic Agriculture and Environment, which allows joint actions of the State and Civil Society, each in their respective roles.

Thus, a proposal of Law on the Promotion and Development of Organic Agriculture in Peru or organic, which was hosted by Congressman Arpasi Paulina, who took a great interest in the topic and currently is promoting with the support of the RAAA and civil society, both at Lima and at national level, process of dissemination and discussion of the proposed Act.

Thus, the July 21st, the RAAA hosted a working breakfast "Contributions of civil society in three legislative proposals on Organic Agriculture and Rural Development”. In which are representatives of the Office of Congressman Jonhy Lescano, Confederación Campesina del Peru, NGO IDEAS Network of Organic Agriculture, Environment Group, National Coffee Association of Ecological Producers, Peru, CARE, CARITAS, National Commission of Organic Products, German Development Service.

In which, they identified some contributions to the projects:

"Law on Promotion of Organic Agriculture" of Congressman Arpasi Paulina

“Act states that national interest and the need to promote organic agriculture" Congressman Yhonny Lescano.

The contributions to the Bills on Organic Agriculture were directed to:

• Merge proposals for additional content
• Lack of context analysis
• There is intention to strengthen the state for promoting organic agriculture
• Absence of a Director of Organic Agriculture within of the Ministry of Agriculture
• Enhance the role and mechanisms for the basho participation of local governments.
• Social programs should include the purchase of organic products to producers.

Subsequently, on October 19th he forum "Scope of Law on the Promotion and Advancement of Environment and Organic Agriculture" was held t in coordination with the Office of Congresswoman Paulina Arpasi author of the law with this activity is beginning the debate on its content.

Due to the observation of the law by the executive, it launched a series of workshops (5) in order to reformulate the law, for it formed a working group consisting of: PROBIOANDES The National Coffee Board, the National Association of Ecological Producers of Peru (ANPEP), the Network of Organic Agriculture (Peru SAR), the National Organic Products (CONAPO-MINAG), the Ecological Peru, SENASA, the certifying company SKAL and others who have had the task of enriching and updated version of which has been filed with the Commission on Agricultural on Wednesday April 6th for discussion and approval at the plenary session of Congress.

RAAA, In this process, creates the forums and chats in Piura decentralized laboratories [1] Huaraz [2] Lima [3], Arequipa [4], Huancayo [5] and Pucallpa [6] to promote a process of discussion, socialization and support for enactment and implementation between the organizations, actors of the value chain involved in the processing, certification and marketing, as well as organizations and institutions involved in promoting sustainable agriculture.

[1] CIPCA Center for Research and Promotion Campesinado, conducted the first forum on this topic, month after Congress approved the first version of the law on organic agriculture.

[2] Andes – Andean Development Association

[3] CICAP Center for Research, Training, Consultancy and Promotion

[4] ILDER – Macroregional South Coordination

[5] CEDEPAS – Macroregional Coordination Center

[6] FUSEVI – Partnership for Strong Viva la Selva

REGIONAL FORUMS – FEBRUARY 2005

Huaraz:

Date: February 4th 2005
Organization convener: ANDESAsociación Andean Development
Activity: conversation about the "Law on the promotion and advancement of Organic Agriculture and Environment "
Participants: 120 participants from provincial and district municipalities, regional government, Regional Environment PRONAMACH, DESA, DIRESA, environmental organizations, Association of Ecological Producers, Farmers, etc..

Results:

1 statement signed
1 press release
press conference was attended by Congresswoman Paulina Arpasi
It was a good spread of the proposed project.
contributions of participants in terms of Article 12 and 13 of the proposal.

Lima:

Date: February 14th
Place: Sala Grau Congress
Organizers: Junta Nacional del Café (JNC) RAAA, Agricultural Committee of Congress
Activity: Forum Agrarian: Proposal for a Law on the Promotion of Organic Agriculture

Participants: 85 participants between producer organizations mango, coffee, cocoa, bananas, vegetables, cereals, certification agencies, NGOs, professionals in agriculture, etc.

Two important aspects were discussed: the role of the competent authority in this case SENASA (Article 13) and incentives (Article 12). See proposed law on the website of the RAAA. Also, the President of the Agricultural Committee of Congress Carlos Trujillo Chavez is committed to the law in the commission for approval in this term.

Chiclayo:

Date: February 18th 2005
Organizer: CICAPCentro Research, Training, Consultancy and Promotion
Activity: conversation about the "Law of encouragement and promotion of organic agriculture”
Participants: 50 participants from the Regional Environment (CAR's) regional government, municipalities, grassroots organizations, universities, environmental organizations, associations.

Results:

1 delivery were discussed two articles of the draft law on 12 and 13 referred to the competent authority. The competent authority should be noted that in February the Supreme Decree No. 008-2005-AG approves the new Regulation on Organization and Functions of the National Service of Agrarian Health (SENASA), where it created a Sub Organic Production Management within the Directorate of Agricultural Inputs and Food Safety.

Pucallpa:

Date: February 25th 2005
Organizer: Association FUSEVI Force in the Selva Viva
Activity: conversation about the "Law of encouragement and promotion of organic agriculture”
Participants: 52 people from 27 public and private organizations, regional and municipal authorities of municipalities in the province of Coronel Portillo, Ministry of Production, Producers Federation, Association of Women Ucayali, SENASA, Regional Bureau for Education, Ministry of Health.

Results:

1 pronouncement also underwent two discussion sections of the proposed law on 12 and 13 referred to the competent authority and incentives.

Presentation of draft law for the encouragement and promotion of organic agriculture in Peru

Background – 16 September 2004:

The House of Congress adopted the Law on the Promotion and Advancement of Environment and Organic Agriculture in the Legislature Regular Priemra by Congresswoman Arpasi Paulina

November 15, 2004 – first week of December 2004:

It began the process of reformulation of the law (FIN consensus and agree with all the actors).
It was initiated by Congresswoman Paulina Arpasi a workbench led by the RAAA and comprises:

PROBIOANDES, the National Coffee Board, the National Association of Ecological Producers of Peru (ANPEP), the Network of Organic Agriculture (Peru SAR), the National Organic Products (CONAPO-MINAG), the Ecological Peru, SENASA, the SKAL certification companies and others. 5 meetings were held for the reformulation of the Act.

The Agricultural Commission will receive comments and propose a new text.

Agricultural Commission conducts a further study, analysis and consultations on the new text of the proposal.

February 14 2005:

The Agricultural Commission, jointly with the National Coffee Board and the RAAA, held a forum called "Proposals for a Law on the Promotion of Organic Agriculture"

The alternative proposes a "Law on the Promotion and Advancement of Organic or Ecological Productio”

April 27 2005:

Agricultural Commission recommends approval of the new text. Voted for the April 27th, 2005 during the annual session of the Agrarian Commission.

Signature:

• Carlos Chavez Trujillo – President
• José Devescovi Dzierson – VP
• Arturo R. Maldonado – Secretary
• Arpasi Paulina Velasquez – Member
• Santos Jaimes Serkovic – Member
• Gerardo Saavedra Mesones – Member
• Wilmer Rengifo Ruiz – Member

Source: Red Action Alternative Agriculture

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